POST January/February 2015

interview
And we took down the neon, and we changed
the logo, and that was when we added the
sunflower. I wanted something that isn’t in
a flower shop. And, at that time, sunflowers
weren’t in a flower shop. I said, “Let’s just go
to botanical.”
How did people respond?
It was so awkward. People didn’t know.
People were ordering, and they wanted the
old Arena’s. We actually did both for a while.
The new was still beautiful, but it wasn’t birds
of paradise. It wasn’t sculptural. It was low
and mossy and that craggy branch and some
beautiful roses. It was the new pretty.
When was that?
It might have been mid-’90s. We went
completely natural—we went the other way.
So it was shortly after that I think that
you started bringing into the showroom
accessories.
Yes. We were only a florist. But people
started wanting to buy the tables and displays
we were using in the store. Then, before you
know it, everything had a price tag on it. So
the retail piece was sort of secondary. But I
think that made us fresh.
So that was a turning point?
The turning point was when I went true to
what I really loved—when I gave myself permission
to actually design instead of producing
what I thought people had grown to like
or what I thought was the right thing to do to
make us be noticed. Then I was much happier
with Arena’s.
What about the upstairs at Arena’s? The idea
of Organic Luxe and interior design?
We did interior design because it was just
this—I said no to it for so long, and then I
would take on a project here and there. And
then I started selling houses I was living in
because people liked the aesthetic. They liked
the aesthetic in the store. But I was always
afraid of losing my focus or doing too much
and fucking up. So I would take one project
at a time. Then when Jonathan (Ragusa) came
onboard, we really set ourselves up for interior
design and made a commitment to it. It was
only when I really thought it was a good fit.
Like a really good fit, like it was with Greg
(Lipphard, a dear friend and antiques dealer).
He said to me the week before he died, “I’m
giving you all my books. …You can do it.” I
remember how hard it was to pick up all those
books. There was so much of Greg in them.
It just kind of boosted me to say, you can do
this.
And now you do commercial and private
interiors?
Yes, both. We’ve been really fortunate that
people entrust us and let us into their personal
space.
What do you think people would find surprising
about you?
I’m shy. And I don’t have patience for
drama. I’m better one-on-one than in groups.
I’m not a party animal. There are no parties at
6 a.m. in the morning. Those parties you don’t
want to go to. They’re scary.
If you had to give design advice to someone
who’s designing their own living space, what
would it be?
Don’t rush it. Bring your favorite things,
20 POST | Issue 9 January / February 2015